Ilocos Trip Day 1

Yey, just got back from Ilocos and I had a a great time spending time away from home, from facebook-emails-client calls, from my desk...

Everything was super nice.

Highlights:

Day 00-01

We left via the pink Florida Bus in Earnshaw Sampaloc Terminal at 7.30pm. Fare is 550 from Manila to Vigan. We took the Laoag bound bus which took us to Bantay, Vigan. We reached a sleeping Vigan City at past 3am. We took a trike and asked to be brought to a 24 hour resto. We're starving but there are no open restos at that time. Trike charged us P100 for the trouble of bringing us from Bantay to the whole of Vigan City looking for a place to eat. We decided to drop off at an open eatery/beer garden/videoke beside Partas.

From there we decided to just walk towards Calle Crisologo. Good thing though Calle Crisologo is well lighted even in the evenings. So we had Calle Crisologo for ourselves.

We were too early. Everyone's sleeping.

We were able to have a mini breakfast at Talaki's Food Corner Co. It's supposed to be a 24-hour eatery but it started cooking by 5.30am. Barbecue is 15pesos each. Since we're starving, we had barbecue and rice. Then started touring Vigan in daylight.

(UPDATE: We were informed just recently that Talaki's Food Corner in Burgos St where we dined opens from 5am to 9pm. They are the earliest food corner to open in that area so if you are around Vigan early, check them out. Or check their 24 hours fine dining resto at Governor A. Reyes St. Cabasaan Vigan City. )

We visited Vigan Church and noted that McDonald's beside Vigan Church has a "belfry", similar to Vigan Church.

See what I mean?

After the tour, by 7am, we checked out the Cordillera Hotel in Calle Crisologo and had Bagnet and Dinengdeng.

The coffee brought me back to my senses. Now we are ready to proceed to Pagudpud via Laoag. But before that we checked Bantay Church (my favorite church in Vigan). We took the trike from Vigan's Heritage Village to Bantay Church, cost 15 pesos per person. A far cry from the 100 pesos charged to us earlier.

We climbed the belfry and enjoyed the sights.

And then off to Laoag we went to catch another bus going to Pagudpud.

Vigan to Laoag via the open air bus = 2 hours travel time. Fare is 70 pesos.

Laoag to Pagudpud = 3 hours travel time

From Pagudpud town hall, we took the trike going to Blue Lagoon where we intended to stay, initially with, Hannah's. But our trike driver with whom I've been contacting regarding our Pagudpud trike tour, Kuya Arnel Aguila (Contact number: 09265880666) recommended that we check Agua Seda (Contact Owner: Lety Garvida 09202431832). Agua Seda is right beside Hannah's and charges 1,800 per night per room. We were the only guests in the resort that time since we went there on a weekday and there was a typhoon in Visayas-Mindanao. Kuya Rogel (pronounced "ro-hel" also known as Jun) is the caretaker of the resort and was in charge of our meals. There is free wifi access in Agua Seda, just ask Kuya Rogel for the access pin.

Our room inside Agua Seda was clean and comfy. We dozed off from 4pm to the next day (that's how tired we were after a 12-hour travel) and prepared for the next day's tour.

(Confession: ON the trike going to Agua Seda from Pagudpud town proper, when I saw the sand on the beach, I asked myself if I was seeing a real beach and not some painting. I was awed, amazed, excited. But I never expressed it that much then. AMAZING! )

(up next, Ilocos trip day 2)

Where to take brokers' review CPE

For people who are curious when did I become a broker, I took and passed the boards for real estate brokers in 2009. I took up my review with Mr Cesar Santos of the CES Academy http://cesacademy.blogspot.com/ Brokers then were regulated by the DTI and I was given the license number NCR-20852.

After that I took my license with the PRC without examination, since I have already passed the licensure exams. My license number now is 3006. Check out the list of licensed real estate brokers with the Professional Regulation Commission (www.prc.gov.ph).

This year, the licensure exams for brokers, appraisers and consultants is scheduled on January 2012.

For information how to get your CPE for those who are going to take the broker's licensure exams and for real estate agents seeking to be licensed and accredited under a broker, check out my former teacher's page http://cesacademy.blogspot.com/. You may also check out the reviews conducted by Urban Institute www.urban-institute.com

Announcements by PAREB shall also be posted here once we get the details of their CPE schedule.

Webpage

Just thinking out loud...

What else can I do to make my webpage www.manilasunrealty.com and my property review blog http://sherylsollestreproperties.blogspot.com get better?

Content wise, I think I need to grow more as a person who engages in real estate so I can make more meaningful posts. -- I better get back to law school and devour anything I can to make better posts with respect to the legal aspects of ownership and acquisition of property.

But what else can I write about?

My personality profile

I just love taking personality tests because I am able to learn more about myself. So far, this is my most preferred test.

According to my career test personality profile, I am an extrovert who is into details; someone who care about other people's feelings, avoids conflict, overextends oneself to accommodate other people, and someone who likes to mix work with play.

I am 47% Introvert

My Personality type is ESFP

ESFP: "Entertainer". Radiates attractive warmth and optimism. Smooth, witty, charming, clever. Fun to be with. Very generous. They make good performers, they like public relations, and they love the phone. 13% of the total population.

Make an informed career choice

Definitions

Extroverted or Introverted

This category deals with how we prefer to interact with the world and how we prefer to get our energy and stimulation. Extraverts are energized by other people and action. They are talkers, often thinking out loud, interrupting people at meetings, or bursting into a co-worker's office to ask an opinion, and then not really listening to it. Extraverts become drained when they have to spend too much time alone; they need other people to function. Introverts, on the other hand, get their energy from their own thoughts and ideas, rather than heated discussions. Introverts rarely speak up at large meetings, preferring listening to talking. Introverts need alone time, especially after spending a few hours with people.

Introverts are outnumbered by extraverts by about three to one in America. Extraverts are often rewarded in school, by participating in class discussions, and at work, because they are popular and outgoing. Introverts, on the other hand, are often undervalued because they keep their best to themselves.

Sensor or iNtuitive

This category deals with how we prefer to gather information about the world. As the name implies, sensors prefer to use their five senses to gather information. Sensors are quite literal, preferring facts and details to interpretations. If a hard-core sensor asks what time it is, he or she expects to hear "11:07 a.m.," and not "a little after 11" or "about 11." About 70 percent of Americans are sensors. For iNtuitives, on the other hand, everything is relative. They aren't late unless the meeting has started without them. iNtuitives look at the grand scheme of things, trying to translate bits of information, through intuition, into possibilities, meanings, and relationships. Details and specifics irritate iNtuitives.

iNtuitives see the forest; sensors see the trees. When working with sensors or iNtuitives, it is important to remember these differences. Sensors prefer to learn through sequential facts; iNtuitives through random leaps. The task- "Please sort through these surveys" - means something entirely different to sensors and iNtuitives.

Thinker or Feeler

This category deals with how we make decisions. Thinkers base their decisions on objective values, and are often described as logical, detached, or analytical. Some thinkers are thought of as cold or uncaring because they would rather do what is right than what makes people happy. In contrast,feelers tend to make decisions based on what will create harmony. Feelers avoid conflict; and will overextend themselves to accommodate the needs of others. Feelers will always "put themselves in somebody else's shoes" and ask how people will be affected before making a decision.

This is the only personality type category related to gender. About two-thirds of all males are thinkers, and the same proportion of females are feelers. There often are problems in the workplace for those who don't conform to their gender's preference. For example, a feeling man is labeled a "wimp." Much more negatively, a thinking woman is "unfeminine," she "has a chip on her shoulder" or much worse. Thankfully, nobody is 100 percent thinker or 100 percent feeler (as with the other personality types). Everyone, to some extent, cares, thinks, and feels, but final decisions are reached through very different routes, based on a person's true personality preference.

Judger or Perceiver

This category deals with how we orient our lives. Judgers are structured, ordered, scheduled, and on-time. They are the list makers. Judgers wake up every morning with a definite plan for the day, and become very upset when the plan becomes unraveled. Even free time is scheduled. Perceivers, on the other hand, rely on creativity, spontaneity, and responsiveness, rather than a plan or list, to get them through the day. They burn the midnight oil to meet deadlines, although they usually meet them. Perceivers like to turn work into play, because if a task is not fun, they reason, it is probably not worth doing.

Experts say that this personality type difference is the most significant source of tension in the workplace and in group work. Perceivers prefer to keep gathering information rather than to draw conclusions. Judgers prefer to make decisions, often ignoring new information that might change that decision. Hence, the conflict. A good balance of judgers and perceivers are necessary for a well-functioning work group. Judgers need light-hearted perceivers to make them relax, and perceivers need structured judgers to keep things organized and reach closure on projects.

http://www.careertest.net

RIP Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs is someone I got to only know 2 years ago when I made a presentation to the young entrepreneurs of the JJC Los Banos. I never knew he was the guy who made the Ipod; I didn't even know that he was the guy behind Pixar which made the animations I really love watching. But while doing my research I stumbled upon his 2005 Graduation Ceremonies speech at Stanford University and I fell in love with the visionary.

Watch Steve Jobs' Stanford Commencement Exercises

He touched many lives with his inventions, insight, and vision. The world will miss him.

Thank you Steve.

Here are some articles on Steve Jobs' and his passing:

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/08/25/top.steve.jobs.moments/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

http://news.yahoo.com/steve-jobs-dies--apple-chief-created-personal-computer--ipad--ipod--iphone.html

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/10/05/statement-president-passing-steve-jobs

http://www.ted.com/talks/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die.html#.To0FN-Lp6AA.facebook

Thank you Steve.